On Air News Read for July 26, 2017

Manchester Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh, Democrat from Ward One, will be District Sixteen’s next state senator, having beaten former Senator David Boutin, Republican from Hooksett, handily in yesterday’s special election.  The unofficial tally has Cavanaugh with four thousand seven hundred forty six votes, or just under fifty five percent, and Boutin with three thousand eight hundred fourteen votes, or forty four percent.  Libertarian Jason Dubrow of Dunbarton received one hundred nine votes, or just over one percent.  The election was held to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Scott McGilvray, Democrat from Hooksett. 

The victory had Democratic State Party Chair Raymond Buckley crowing as if his party had actually flipped the seat.  In a statement issued after the results came in, Buckley said Boutin’s loss was a quote:

Buckley: Offering opponents advice

“a stunning repudiation of the reckless Trump-Sununu agenda,” saying it should, quote “serve as a huge wakeup call to New Hampshire Republicans, Governor Sununu and Mayor Gatsas.  They poured everything they had into this race and still came up short.”

Buckley implied that efforts to curb voter fraud and restore integrity to the state’s elections drove Democrats to the polls, saying quote: 

“The NH GOP’s efforts to suppress the vote only served to energize the Democratic base. This should teach Republicans to back away from fear-mongering, bullying rhetoric that is not just eroding our political discourse but hemorrhaging Republican votes in the state.”

Cavanaugh came out of Manchester with a big lead, carrying his home ward, Ward One, by a tally of eleven hundred ninety one to seven hundred eight.  The vote for Cavanaugh in Ward Two was seven hundred seventy one to four hundred forty one.  In Ward Twelve, the count was four forty seven for Cavanaugh to three thirty six for Boutin.  Cavanaugh carried sixty one percent of the vote to Boutin’s thirty eight, winning the three wards by a combined nine hundred twenty four votes.

The town of Bow went solidly for Cavanaugh as well.  He received nine hundred thirty eight votes to Boutin’s six hundred twenty six.

Boutin did carry Hooksett, Candia and Dunbarton, but not by the margins one would expect from a G O P candidate. 

• In Hooksett, one thousand twelve votes went to Boutin to eight hundred fifty for Cavanaugh.
• In Candia, Boutin pulled four hundred twenty six votes to Cavanaugh’s three hundred and seven.
• In Dunbarton, Boutin narrowly carried the town over Cavanaugh, two hundred fifty five to two forty seven. 

At approximately twenty one percent, turnout was considered high for a special election in the midst of Summer.

The importance of this race to the Democrats was underscored not just by the amount of outside money spent by sympathetic interest groups, but also by a statement issued by Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez following Cavanaugh’s victory.  While he actually congratulated Cavanaugh in his statement, unlike Buckley, he wrote, quote:  

“When we invest, we win.  That’s what we did here in New Hampshire and that’s what we will continue to do in races up and down the ballot.” 

Yes, class.  We will discuss.

News from our own backyard continues after this.

Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard spoke his mind about the letter sent by former Ward Ten Alderman Bill Cashin alleging Mayor Ted Gatsas covered up the rape of a fourteen year old girl at West High School in September 2 0 1 5 by another student.  In an interview on Girard at Large yesterday, Willard called the letter quote “despicable” and said it was, quote:  

“disgraceful first of all that he would use something like that.  It’s like revictimizing the victim.” 

Willard said he hoped the family wasn’t listening to any of it. 

He took issue with the whole idea of a cover-up saying for there to have been one, he, as the police chief, would have to have been complicit.  Said Willard, quote: 

“There is no way Mayor Gatsas can get me to do something I don’t want to do.” 

He called the idea that he would participate quote preposterous and quote disgusting.  In previous interviews with Girard at Large, Willard said he had no reason to cover anything up as he was extremely proud of his officers’ response to the crime. 

Willard said no statements were issued because of the decision of one person and one person only:  Assistant School Superintendent David Ryan.  Ryan did notify the Board of School Committee that a “sexual assault” had taken place at the school and that it was under investigation, but no details were given.  Willard said Ryan’s position was that it was necessary to protect the victim’s privacy.  In published news reports, Ryan said he wanted to protect the rights of the accused.  Shortly before he left the district to become Co-Superintendent of S A U 5 3, Ryan said he’d told Gatsas a rape had occurred and that the mayor asked about the race of the boy involved, assertions Gatsas has vigorously disputed.

Gatsas has filed a Defamation of Character lawsuit against Cashin and Jon Hopwood, a fierce, longtime political critic of the mayor whom Cashin admitted wrote the letter.

The Manchester Police Department will host its next entry-level police exam on Saturday, September 16th, at the New Hampshire Police Academy in Concord.  The application process is now open and will close on Monday, September 11^th.  Information and an applications can be obtained by visiting manchester p d dot com.   Please feel free to contact Officer Carl Accorto in the Training Division with any questions at 7 9 2 5 4 5 2.

That’s NEWS from our own backyard!  Girard at Large hour ___ is next!

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